Trump: Rangel Should Resign over 'White Cracker' Remark

Rep. Charlie Rangel should be forced to resign over comments he made comparing tea party conservatives to "white crackers," Donald Trump said Monday.

Calling the use of the derogatory term by the New York Democrat "a very rough double standard," Trump said on "Fox & Friends" that "if you're a Republican" and make a statement like that, "it's over."

"I mean, you are finished. If you're a conservative — by the way, the further right you are, the worse it gets. So, it's a very rough double standard," the real estate and entertainment billionaire said.

"If Charlie, or if whoever it was, was a Republican, and they made that statement, they'd be resigning from office right now."

Rangel made the "cracker" comment in an interview last week with the Daily Beast, referring to the tea party as "the same group we faced in the South with those white crackers and the dogs and the police."

"I'm surprised to see a statement like that," Trump said. "That's a rough statement, and not a good statement."

Trump drew a comparison to celebrity chef Paula Deen's situation. She recently admitted to using the "N-word" years ago and as a result of the criticism has lost most of her retail partners and her Food Network show.

"Paula Deen was absolutely crucified, what they did with her," Trump said, calling it "amazing" that Rangel has not been called to account for his comment.

Asked if he expected President Barack Obama to comment on Rangel's statement, Trump said, "Obama is going to take a pass, and they're all going to take a pass, and that's the way the country is right now.

"We have a very divided country, and that's the way it is and get used to it, because it's not changing very fast," he added.